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A review by anil
The Long Game by Rachel Reid
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Having a hard time rating this bc I'm like 'its ok I guess' but also I still have tears in my eyes and I cried like three separate times. I don't know. I don't think it really works as a story exactly but it works on my FEELINGS.
We start before the beginning of Role Model, run parallel to Role Model for a lot of this book (and boy does reading the plane crash from ilyas pov hurt) and then go until several months later. If I thought I knew what was going on with Ilya during that book: no I did not.
Mostly this is a book about Ilya Rozanov dealing with depression. This makes him significantly less fun to read than we've been used to. Please do not read that as a criticism, I honestly think this makes it even more interesting that Role Model is some of the most fun we've ever seen Ilya be. I'm not just told Ilya tries to hide his issues and fools most people *he fooled me*.
But unfortunately he's dealing with depression by just not doing a lot. Things keep happening and sometimes he tries to do something and it helps for a little while and sometimes he tries to do something and it doesn't help and nothing about it ever feels really resolved to me. And that's honestly most of the story. There is the making the relationship public yes/no thing but that (vague spoiler)doesn't get resolved by anyone making an actual decision. Which imo works to kick off a story but not to resolve it.
I am also leaving this book incredibly bitter about that one Thing on Shane's behalf and I can't even demand that get resolved better, I understand that this is the best case scenario once that Thing happened but I hate it and the book didn't give me nearly enough time to process that because suddenly it was all over.
We start before the beginning of Role Model, run parallel to Role Model for a lot of this book (and boy does reading the plane crash from ilyas pov hurt) and then go until several months later. If I thought I knew what was going on with Ilya during that book: no I did not.
Mostly this is a book about Ilya Rozanov dealing with depression. This makes him significantly less fun to read than we've been used to. Please do not read that as a criticism, I honestly think this makes it even more interesting that Role Model is some of the most fun we've ever seen Ilya be. I'm not just told Ilya tries to hide his issues and fools most people *he fooled me*.
But unfortunately he's dealing with depression by just not doing a lot. Things keep happening and sometimes he tries to do something and it helps for a little while and sometimes he tries to do something and it doesn't help and nothing about it ever feels really resolved to me. And that's honestly most of the story. There is the making the relationship public yes/no thing but that (vague spoiler)
I am also leaving this book incredibly bitter about that one Thing on Shane's behalf and I can't even demand that get resolved better, I understand that this is the best case scenario once that Thing happened but I hate it and the book didn't give me nearly enough time to process that because suddenly it was all over.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Death of parent, Outing, Eating disorder, and Suicidal thoughts